Girls and science do mix

Hypatia Day encourages females to pursue science and math studies.

Hypatia Day encourages females to pursue science and math studies.

February 29, 2008|RACHEL REYNOLDS Tribune Correspondent

SOUTH BEND Twelve-year-old Corynne Lindsey wrapped paper around a popsicle stick and then lowered it into a beaker filled with water. Along the edge of the paper were dots made with a felt-tip marker. "I enjoy math and science," said Lindsey, a seventh-grader at Bremen Elementary/Middle School. "It's fun to do hands-on experiments." As the paper soaked up the water, different dyes and compounds revealed themselves in the markers. This is called paper chromatography. "Sometimes it's hard to excite girls about this nerdy thing called math and science," said Beanya Broderick, 21, a senior chemistry major at Saint Mary's College. "Women are just as capable. That's something that's been instilled in me by my professors and classmates." Lindsey and Broderick were participants recently in the 18th Annual Hypatia Day at Saint Mary's, a daylong event in which specially selected seventh-grade girls from Michiana spent a day on campus exploring math, science and nursing. A total of 85 young girls with strong academic records attended. "When I found out that just working hard got me to be able to come, I was excited," Lindsey said. "I've always wanted to be in the nursing industry or a veterinarian." Sitting nearby, LaurieAnne Wickens, 13, who also attends Bremen Elementary/Middle School, checked her beaker to see the results of the experiment. "I like it because you know in English there's always an exception to the rule. Well in math the rules stay the same," she said. "There's always a right answer." The goal of Hypatia Day is to encourage young girls interested in math and science to continue pursuing the subjects in high school and college. Research shows that girls, more so than boys, fall away from math and science classes as they get older and the curriculum gets harder. "I think the main reason is they start to become exposed to the media and fashion magazines and then math and science might not be so cool," said Ewa Misiolek, assistant math professor at Saint Mary's and coordinator of the event. "They might not want to be seen as brainiacs." Misiolek, who has overseen the event for five years, notices that the girls get a kick out of spending time with college women. "I like to see the girls' excitement at the end of the day," she said. Johnelle Halteman, 21, a senior chemistry major at Saint Mary's who will participate in a chemical engineering program at the University of Notre Dame next year, prepared a group of girls to make slime in a labora-tory. The oozing goo that kids like too play with is actually a combination of polymers. "What's nice is that it gives our students a chance to be mentors, experts in the eyes of seventh-graders," said Gwen O'Brien, a spokesperson for Saint Mary's. Jessica Thompson, 13, Colleen Weldy, 13, and Briee Landis, 12, who all attend Grissom Middle School in Mishawaka, were eager to do more experiments. "It's just like exciting," Thompson said. "There's always something new. You can always make things better." Seminars were also held for the girls' parents to explain ways to motivate their daughters' interests, classes recommended in high school, and tips on college admissions and financial aid. "They talked about making sure she's taking the right classes in the right time sequence," said Howard Hoffman, 57, of South Bend, whose daughter Rachel, 13, attends Trinity School at Greenlawn in South Bend. Did parents think the information was helpful? "Absolutely, very interesting," he said. Parent Cindy Kowalski, 39, of South Bend, agreed: "Very enlightening, intriguing." She attended the sessions with her husband Greg Kowalski, 45. Their daughter Abby, 12, who attends Our Lady of Hungary School in South Bend, was selected to participate in Hypatia Day. "It's a chance for girls to learn in their early years what they want to do," Cindy said. "It's hard, there are a lot more choices these days." The event is named for the first known female mathematician, Hypatia of Alexandria. Hypatia, who was born in 370 A.D., was the daughter of philosopher and mathematician Theon, who trained his daughter in subjects typically reserved for boys and men. Mary Connolly, 68, an associate professor of mathematics at Saint Mary's, has been involved in Hypatia Day since its inception 18 years ago. There are four generations of female mathematicians in Connolly's family -- her grandmother, mother and daughter all pursued math studies, too. "One of my prized possessions is my mother's thesis in mathematics at the University of Wisconsin in 1927," Connolly said. "There were no computers then, it was typed. She had to draw all the symbols in India ink. It's bound in leather. "For me, it's natural that women do mathematics." Over at the nursing building, girls got the chance to work with medical dummies. Unyimeabasi Udoh, 11, who attends the Montessori Academy at Edison Lakes, inspected a large red gash on a dummy's right leg. "I think it's interesting, the heart sounds and how things affect people," she said. "My mom's a nurse and I think math is cool." Saint Mary's nursing school senior Megan Myers, 22, made the dummy cough and also pointed out some varicose veins on its leg. "These are not good, they can cause clots," Myers said as the girls watched. The dummy also had a sore on its big toe and Myers explained about complications from diabetes. Megan Stevens, 13, who attends Discovery Middle School in Granger, liked giving the dummies injections, too. She said she was glad to get chosen to attend Hypatia Day. "I was kind of happy because I felt smart," she said.